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You are here: Home / History / Indian States and Society in the Eighteenth Century

Indian States and Society in the Eighteenth Century

February 26, 2020 by BureaucratONE Leave a Comment Last Updated February 26, 2020

  1. The Situation
    1. On debris of Mughal empire, other powers sprouted
      • Bengal
      • Awadh
      • Hyderabad
      • Maratha
      • Mysore
    2. These were the powers Br overcame to gain supremacy in India
    3. 3 zones after Mughals.
      • Succession states
        • Autonomy by Governors of Mughal provinces
        • Bengal, Awadh, Hyderabad
      • Product of rebellions
        • By Chieftains, Zamindars & Peasants
        • Maratha, Afghan, Jat, Punjab
      • Zone where the Mughal influence hadn't penetrated
        • SW, SE, NE zones
    4. Common features of these states (18th Cent)
      • States tried to legitimize their position by acknowledging supremacy of Mughals
      • Succession states inherited functioning of Mughal administrative structures
      • State rulers ensured L&O, viable economy and trade
      • They didn't discriminate on religious grounds for appointments
      • Nor did the rebels paid much attention to the religion of the rulers
      • Remained as rent extracting state
      • Zamindars & Jagirdars Fought over income from agriculture
      • Didn't modernize industrial and commercial structure of the states
  • Hyderabad & Carnatic
    • Founder - Nizam ul mulk Asaf jah (1724)
    • He was rewarded with viceroyalty of Deccan for his role in over-throwing Sayyid Bros
    • He was tolerant - Puran Chand was his dewan
    • He was a Wazir at Emperor Mohammed shahs office-1722-1724
    • He went back to deccan since all this reformation attempt was squashed
    • Carnatic Was a Mughal Subha
      • Came under the control of Nizam of Hyderabad so nawab declared independence
      • As such the deputy governor of Carnatic (Nawab) freed him self from Viceroy of  Carnatic and made it hereditary
    • thus the Nawab saadatullah Khan appointed his nephew dost Ali without approval of superior Nizam
    • Hence after 1740, repeated struggles for Nawabship
    • Gave opportunity for Eu TC to directly interfere in Indian Politics
  • Bengal
    • MQK Murshid quli Khan & AK alivardi Khan made Bengal independent
    • MQK
      • 1700 - Dewan but defacto ruler
      • 1717 - governor of Bengal
      • Though independent, sent huge tribute to Emperor
      • Only 3 major uprisings
      • After his death in 1727 his son in law Shuja-ud-din ruled Bengal till 1739 when he was killed by Alivardi khan & made himself Nawab
      • Transferred large part of Jagir lands to Khalisah lands
      • Intro new system of revenue farming
      • Taccavi loans (Agri) for poor farmers
      • He and his successors gave equal opportunity for Hindus  and Muslims
      • Revenue farmers - he preferred local zamindars and mahajans who were mainly Hindus
    • AK
      • Didn't permit Eng & Fr to fortify at Calcutta & Chandernagore  
    • All 3 nawabs
      • Expanded trade as it benefited people
        • Encouraged merchants Indian and foreign
      • Thanas and chowkies were estd for safety of roads from thieves
      • Checked private trade by officials
      • Prevented abuses in customs
      • Strict control of foreign trading companies
        • Compelled EIC to pay the same custom duty & and obey the law of the land
      • They failed to put down EICs military tendency even though they had the capacity to do so
        • They failed to see that they were the representation of the most aggressive expansionist colonialism of the time
        • Due to ignorance and lack of contact with the rest of the world
      • Neglected army
        • E.g. MQK had only 2000 cavalry & 4000 infantry
        • AK - Repeated invasion of Marathas
          • Siraj ud daulah - Successor of AK - So EIC defeated him in 1756-67 war
      • Judicial officials (Qazi and muftis) also took bribes
        • Foreign companies took advantage of this to undermine rules and regulations
  • Awadh
    • Founder - Sadat Khan Burhan ul mulk was Governor of Awadh 1722
    • Succeeded by nephew Safdar Jung also wazir of empire in 1748 and Allahabad province Governor
    • He secured Jat and maratha support in war against Rohelas and Bangash Pathans
    • SK and SJ
      • Equitable system of justice
      • Maintained high std of personal morality
    • Distinct Lucknow culture
      • Coz of Prolonged prd of peace & Eco prosperity u/nawabs
      • Imp centre for handicrafts
  • Evaluation of the founders of Hyderabad, Bengal & Awadh
    • N-U-M, MQK & AK, SK & SJ
    • Were men of high morality
    • Led Austere & Simple life
    • Only in their public and political dealings, they resorted to fraud & Treachery
  • Mysore
    • Had independence since Vijayanagar
    • Had been only nominally part of the Mughals
    • Nanjaraj & Devaraj had seized power and reduced chikka Krishna raja to a puppet
    • Hyder Ali
      • He rose in the Mysore army to high ranks
      • Estd modern military troops with western military training at Dindigal in 1755 with help of French experts
      • 1761 - overthrew nanjaraja
      • Occupied Malabar to have access to Indian Ocean
      • Introduced Mughal administrative & revenue system in his dominions
      • He took over Mysore when it was weak and made it powerful
      • Religious tolerance
      • Died in 2nd Anglo Mysore war 1782 but repeatedly defeated Br in 1769
      • Illiterate
      • Constant war between marathas, nizam, br
    • Tippu
      • Change
        • New calendar
        • New system of coinage
        • Scales of weights and measures
        • Planted tree of Liberty & became part of Jacobin club / showed keen interest in French Revolution
      • Made Poligars not hereditary
      • Abolished Jagirs
      • Military
        • Armed with muskets & bayonets in European fashion yet made in Mysore
      • Estd 2 dockyards to build a strong Navy in 1796
      • When British occupied Mysore in1799 they were surprised to find peasants more prosperous than in British ruled Madras
      • Developed industry
      • Foreign trade and relations was strong - France,Turkey, Iran, Pegu myanmar and china
      • Religious tolerant
        • Financed Goddess Sarda in Sringeri temple
        • Gifts to Ranganatha temple in Sri Ranga pattana
  • Kerala
    • Important states
      • Calicut under Zamorin
      • Cochin
      • Chirakkal
      • Travencore - Martanda Varma
    • Martanda Varma - 1729
      • Defeated Dutch
      • Conqured Quilon and Elayadam
      • Modern army with help of Europeans
      • Irrigation works, canals and roads
      • Promoted malayalam Literature - Successor Rama Varma was scholar, musician , poet ...etc
  • Around Delhi
    • Rajput
    • Jats
    • Pathans
    • Sikhs
      • Founded - 15th Cent - Guru Nanak
      • Spread to Jat peasantry & Lower classes of Punjab
      • Guru Hargobind - Transformation - Militant fighting community
      • Guru Gobind -
        • Constant fighting with Aurangzeb's army and hill rajas
        • After A's death joined Bahadur shahs camp as noble of rank 5000 zat & 5000 sawar
        • After his death Guruship ended
      • Banda Bahadur
        • He rallies sikh peasants - Struggle against Mughals
        • Captured & Killed in 1715
      • Nadir shah & Abdali Invasions & rise of Sikhs
        • When Abdali withdrew, Sikhs filled the political vacuum
        • Organised into 12 misls / Confederacies
          • Initially - Principle of equality
          • All members - Equal voice - Affairs & Election of officers
          • Democratic character disappeared & Powerful chiefs Dominated them
          • Brotherhood & Unity of Khalsa disappeared
      • Punjab u/Ranjit singh
        • Chief of Surkechakia Misl
        • Brought all sikh chiefs west of sutlej u/his control
        • Conquered Lahore, Amritsar, Kashmir, Peshawar, Multan
        • Land revenue -
          • Same system as u/ Mughals
          • 50 % of gross produce
        • Army
          • Not confined to Sikhs
          • Recruited Gurkhas Biharis Oriyas Parhans Dogras
          • Modern foundries to mnfd Cannons
          • 2nd best army in Asia after EIC
        • Tolerant & Liberal in religious matter
          • Was known to step out from his throne to wipe the dust off the feet of Muslim mendicants with his long grey beard
          • In no sense was it a Sikh state
        • Diplomatic realism & Military strength
          • When Br forbade him to cross Sutlej, he kept quiet for he realized he was no match for the Br
  • The rise & fall of Maratha 
    • Some Glorification shit
      • The most imp challenge to Mughals
      • The most powerful of the succession states
      • Alone possessed the strength to fill the political vacuum
      • Had best commanders & Statesmen
    • Criticism
      • Lacked outlook for All India empire
      • Lacked unity
    • Their story
      • Shahu
        • Grandson of Shivaji
        • Prisoner u/ Aurangzeb since 1689
        • Released in 1707 after his death
        • Civil war bw Shahu (Satara) vs Tarabhai (Kohlapur) in name of Shivaji II son of dead Raja Ram lead to
        • New system of Govt - u/ Balaji Vishwanath - Peshwa of Shahu or mukh pradhan or chief minister
        • Period of Peshwa domination
      • Balaji Vishwanath
        • Revenue official _ Rose step by step
        • With his son Baji Rao I made Peshwa functional head
        • Marathas were under Mughal suzerainty by paying yearly tribute and maintaining army in Deccan in return for Chauth and Sardeshmukhi
        • Peshwa assigned greater part of chauth and sardeshmukhi to maratha sardars in return for armies - This was strength and weakness
      • Baji Rao
        • Fought war with Nizam of hyderabad, Mughals, Maratha sardars and Raja of Kohlpur.
        • After baji rao died balaji baji Rao became peshwa and ruler after Shahu's death
        • Since maraths fought with all powers, they didn't get allies when needed ,so they were defeated by Ahmed shah Abdali in Panipat
        • Cream of their army lost in this war and made maraths weak
        • Madhav Roa became peshwa in 1761 after balaji Baji Rao
      • Madhava Roa
        • Regained maratha glory by fighting back with nizam, haider ali, British
        • But  dead in 1772 due to TB
        • Power struggle led to 1st Anglo Maratha war
        • British pitted marathas against each other and resulted in 2nd and 3rd Maratha War
        • Same weakness as Mughals lead Marathas fail in replacing Mughals 
  • Social and Economic conditions of the people
    • Education
      • Traditional & Defective & out of touch with rapid developments of the West
      • Confined to
        • Literature, Law, Religion, Philosophy & Logic
      • Excluded
        • Physical & Natural Science
        • Technology
        • Geography
        • Rational study of the society
      • Original thought was discouraged
      • Reliance placed on Ancient learning
      • Higher Edu - All over country
      • Financed by Nawabs, Rajas, Zamindars
      • Hindus - Higher Edu - Sanskrit - Confined to Brahmins
      • Persian - Official Lang - Popular both among Muslims & Hindus
      • Elementary Edu
        • Hindus - Town & Village Schools
        • Muslims - Maulvis in Maktabs
        • Reading, writing, Arithmetic
      • Teachers - High Prestige
      • Girls - Seldom sent to school
    • Social & Cultural Life
      • Argi
        • Backward & Stagnant
      • Political factors which hurt trade
        • Nadir Shah - Delhi
        • Ahmed Shah Abdali - Lahore, Delhi, Mathura
        • Jats - Agra
        • Surat + Deccan - Marathas
        • Sarhind - Sikhs
      • Emergence of new cities
        • Faizabad
        • Lucknow
        • Varanasi
        • Patna
      • Trade
        • Mnfd in large scale
          • Cotton
          • Silk Fabrics
          • Sugar
          • Jute
          • Dye - Stuff
          • Minerals
          • Metallic Products ( Saltpetre, Arms, Metalware)
          • Oils
        • Important centres
          • Dacca & Murshidabad (Bengal)
          • Patna
          • Surat, Ahmedabad, Broach (Gujarat)
          • Chanderi (MP)
          • Burhanpur (MH)
          • Jaunpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra (UP)
          • Multan & Lahore (Pun)
          • Masulipatnam, Aurangabad, Chicacole, Vishakapatnam (AP)
          • Bangalore
          • Coimbatore & Madurai
          • WOOL - Kashmir
          • SHIP BUILDING - MH, AP, Bengal
      • Divided by Religion, region, tribe, language, caste
        • Stagnation & Dependence on Past
        • No uniformity in culture
      • Caste
        • Extremely Rigid
        • was the central life of social life of the Hindus
        • Inter Caste Marriages - Forbidden
        • Inter Dining Restriction
        • Determined Choice of profession
        • Caste councils / Panchayats / Caste Chiefs - Enforced rules through Fines, penances & Expulsion from caste
        • Major divisive & Dis integrative force of 18th century
        • Muslims
          • Sunni & Shia
          • Irani, Afghani, Turani, Hindustani Muslims
          • Sharif looked down on Ailaf Muslims as Lower Caste Muslims
      • Women
        • Patriarchal except KL Nairs (Matrilineal)
        • Respect & Honor ( A hindu women could go anywhere alone without fear)
        • Women no individuality except few like Ahilya Bhai - Administered Indore
        • Pudrah - N Ind -high class
        • Boys & Girls - No mingling but child marriage prevalent
        • Sati
          • Rajputana (Rajas, upper castes), Bengal & Parts of N India
          • In south uncommon and Marathas didn't encourage it
          • Condition of the widows
      • Culture
        • Exhaustion
        • Continuity was maintained
        • Local traditions evolved
        • Traditionalist
        • Mughal Archi & Painting
          • Declined
          • Migrated to provincial courts - Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kashmir, Patna
          • Kangra & Rajputana
          • Imambara of Lucknow
          • Jaipur Buildings
      • Poetry
        • Lost touch with life
        • Became decorative, traditional, mechanical, artificial
      • Literature
        • Urdu
          • Upper Class - N India
          • Mirza Ghalib, Mir, Sauda, Nazir
        • Malayalam
          • Patronage of Travancore rulers Marthanda verma & Rama Varma
          • Kathakali literature, Drama, Dance
        • Tamil - Tayaumanavar (Sittar poetry)
        • Assam - Ahom Kings
        • Punjabi - Romantic epic Heer Ranjha composed by warris Shah
        • Sindhi - Shah Abdul Latif composed Risalo, Sachal an Sami are other poets
      • Main weakness
        • West
          • Science & tech Rev for 200 yrs
          • Inventions & Discoveries
        • India
          • Neglected science
          • Tied to tradition
          • Nobles & Common people - Superstition
          • 18th Cent rulers
            • Content with ideological apparatus of Mughals except Tipu
            • Only interested in weapons of war & Techniques of military training
      • Friendly Rln bw Hindus & Muslims
        • Brothers among brothers
        • Politics secular
        • Fights & Alliances were seldom based on religion
        • Culture
          • Composite Hindu-Muslim culture
          • Hindus wrote in Persian
          • Muslims wrote in Hindi, Bengali & other vernaculars
          • Urdu Lang - meeting ground for Hindus & Muslims
        • Religious Sphere
          • Bhakti mvmt
          • Sufism
          • Cults & shrines - Both Hindu & Muslim followers
          • Rulers - Festivals  - Both Muharram, Diwali, Holi
          • Eg
            • Tipu - Fin Grant to Sringeri
            • Marathas - shrine of Shaikh Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer
            • Raja of Tanjore - Shrine of Shaikh Shahul Hamid of Nagore
          • Religious affiliations was not the main point of departure rather it was( upper class & lower class) &( village & Town dwellers)

Filed Under: History

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